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Examples Of Social Stratification In The United States

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1. Some research methods sociologist have used in determining relative poverty for families would be social stratification such as the caste and class system. For example, in both documentaries which displayed the everyday lives of impoverished youth, these systems would consider them as the bottom tier or as known as the "working class." In both the United States and Great Britain the enourmous amount of "poor families," is expected to rise in the future as stated in the British documentary, and could be assumed for the U.S. as well. Moreover, "The British mix of caste elements and meritocracy has produced a highly stratified society with some opportunity to move upward or downward, much the same as exists in the United States" (Chapter 9, Page …show more content…

I chose these two factors because wealth is the main cog in determining the systems we live in a society. If you have a lot of money you're considered in the upper class, where as if you had little money you're at the bottom of the system. As stated in both films by the children (sorry forgot their names), they believed that once they have grown old enough to work they could find a job and help their family by working they could "make money." It was a very simplistic fantasy, but what really struck me was when the one British girl said something about money is everything in society and that they do not have it because they are poor and by being poor she could not do many things in society. Which led her to wanting to make money to enjoy nicer things in her life. Also, in the U.S. documentary the family that was constantly moving and all the little girl wanted to do was just go to school. She understood her situation but was very upset at the fact she could not go to school all because of wealth. Wealth really defines our

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